Summary

A microlot with cup score easily above 90 points with a citrus, floral and intense profile. This is the best Kenya we've ever roasted so far and is simply stunning as filter.

The finer details

The origin

This microlot comes from the Barichu Cooperative Society in Nyeri, Central Kenya, close to Mount Kenya. The Nyeri region is renowned for its intense, complex and flavorful cup profiles.

The producer

The Cooperative is made up of about 600 independent smallholders, each of whom manages small farms - less than half a hectare each.

The Cooperative owns their own washing station, the Gatomboya Factory, where the small owners deliver their harvested cherries for processing. The grown varietals are the SL-28 and SL-34.

The process

The cherries are harvested strictly by hand and selected according to their degree of ripeness. Once delivered to the washing station, an Agaarde de-pulper removes skins and pulp. The beans are then classified by density and ranked into three grades. Needless to say, the lot consists of only Grade 1 grains, the densest ones.

The beans are then dry fermented, that is in absence of water, and under shades for about 24 hours. Every 6 hours they are washed, then repositioned in the fermentation tanks.

Once the pulp has been fully removed by the fermentation process, the beans are washed for one last time and, again, ranked by density within the washing channels and finally soaked in clean water for 16-18 hours.

The beans are then dried under the sun on African drying beds for about three weeks, until the target moisture degree is reached. During the hottest hours and at night the beans are covered with plastic sheeting. The parchment is then mechanically removed at the dry mill and the resulting green beans are vacuum packed in 25kg boxes to preserve their full aromatic characteristics.

In the cup

Sweet and floral, with notes of grapes, honey, red currants and the typical grapefruit traits of any great Kenyan coffee. It is simply remarkable in filter extraction, with a cup score easily crossing the 90 points bar. The best Kenya Nero Scuro ever roasted until today.